Kinetic study of alkaline induced hydrolysis of the skeletal muscle relaxant chlorzoxazone using ratio spectra first derivative spectrophotometry.

2-Amino-4-chlorophenol was found to be the alkaline induced degradation product and the synthetic precursor of chlorzoxazone. The aim of this work is to study different factors affecting the degradation process due to the high toxicity of 2-amino-4-chlorophenol. Chlorzoxazone was found to follow pseudofirst order kinetics. Ratio spectra first derivative spectrophotometry (DR(1)) was developed for monitoring the change in chlorzoxazone concentration during the degradation process. Kinetic parameters (rate constant (K) and half-life (t(0.5))) were calculated at different temperatures (40-120 degrees C) and different sodium hydroxide concentrations (3-10 M). Activation energy at 3 and 8 M sodium hydroxide concentration and alkaline induced catalysis constant at 60, 70 and 80 degrees C were also calculated.